Panel mounting structure



July 27, 1965 H. L. OWEN PANEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1961 w w a w L w QK W 4 n $5 5/ a 4 I 7/ 7/ Wk; 2

mmvron HARRY L. OWEN BY 1 m [56 ATTORNEY July 27, 1965 H. L. OWEN PANEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1961 w x Wm WM W #4 5 0 2 a s /a {faw 4 w W 5 \\\\Q 4 Z w INVENTOR.

ARRY L.- OWEN BY 57% fl ATTQRNEY July 27, 1965 H. L. OWEN PANEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1961 INVENTOR.

HARRY L. OWEN BY 4 m 47m ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,136,993 PANEL MGUNTING STRUCTURE Harry 'L. Owen, 907 Cedar St, Niles, Mich. Filed July 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,196 3 Claims. (Cl. 189-458) This invention relates to improvements in panel mounting structures, and more particularly to structures such as store fronts, curtain wall building units, glass holding members, and door glass and panel mounts, usable for anchoring and supporting marginal portions of glass and other building panels.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a panel mounting structure which is simple, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and install, attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured in a few different cross-sectional dimensions to accomplish mounting of building panels of all types in various relations and arrangements encountered in building constructions.

A further object is to provide a panel mounting structure consisting of simple interlocking moldings of which one adjusts itself to the other and to the thickness of a panel to be mounted thereby, and which structure accommodates flexing or rocking of the panel incident to high wind pressures or vibration.

A further object is to provide a panel mounting structure which can be assembled without requiring the use of special tools or connectors, which can be disassembled easily, and in which one part accommodates itself automatically to panels of different thicknesses.

A further object is to provide a novel panel mounting structure consisting of a base unit adapted to be fixedly secured upon a support, and a cooperating unit having a detachable interlocking connection with a base unit and engaging the same at two substantially parallel longitudinally extending lines and engaging the panel member to be anchored thereby at a third line, wherein one of said first named lines constitutes a fulcrum which is located at the apex of an acute angle of a triangle drawn between the three lines of contact.

A further object is to provide a panel mounting structure having a fixed or base portion and aremovable sash member of substantially inverted U-shape in cross-section, wherein said sash member engages with the base member at opposite sides thereof at two different levels and engages a panel to be anchored thereby at a third level.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a building;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one element of the construction illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view illustrating another element of the construction illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional detail view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 i a perspective view of a clip used in the construction shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal detail sectional view of a modified embodiment of the device.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a building having a wall 11 with window openings 12 to be spanned by window panes 14 or wall areas which are to be spanned by other building panels, as in a curtain ice wall construction, which panel or panels are mounted in suitable panel mounting structures, such as sash structures 15. Divider bar structures may be employed between adjacent panels mounted in the same wall, as indicated at 16.

The sash structure illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 is particularly well suited for use for marginally mounting a panel. In this construction a wooden structural member 20 may or may not be mounted in the building opening 12 to define a marginal frame. A metal trim member, such as an angle, is preferably mounted in the building opening, as upon the frame member 20, and preferably has a leg or flange 21 bearing against the outer edge of the member 20 and a second leg or flange 22 bearing against the inner face of the member 20. In the preferred form, a narrow projecting longitudinal flange 23 extends from the leg 22 spaced from the opposite edges of said leg 22 and extending inwardly into the building opening or area to be spanned by window panes or building panels.

The sash structure comprises an inner or fixed sash unit 25 and an outer or releasable sash unit 26 which cooperate to anchor a building panel 14 therebetween in desired position within the window opening or area to be spanned. .L

The inner or fixed sash unit 25 preferably constitutes an elongated metal extrusion formed of an aluminum alloy or other suitable metallic material, or may be a rolled or a pressed metal member. The fixed sash unit 25 preferably has a narrow base plate portion 30, from one side margin of which extends substantially perpendicularly and longitudinally a narrow wall 31 characterized by a longitudinally extending inwardly angularly extending or inclined hook portion 32 at its free margin. The base plate portion 30 is of a width less than the overall width of the inner sash unit and will preferably have apertures 33 spaced along the length thereof to receive securing screws 34 fixedly securing the inner sash unit to the building structure, as to the structural members 20 and 22. The base of the inner sash member has a perpendicular or step portion 35 extending longitudinally thereof in spaced parallel relation to the wall 31 and from this step portion projects a plate portion 36 inwardly offset from and substantially parallel to the base plate portion 30. A second wall 37, which preferably extends substantially parallel to and is of greater width than the wall 31, preferably has one edge thereof substantially flush with the outermost face of the base plate 30 so as to abut the surface of the trim leg 22, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The opposite margin of the wall 37 has a longitudinal rib or lip 38 projecting laterally therefrom toward the opposite wall 31.

A flange 39 projects from the inner or fixed sash unit at the junction of the step portion 35 and the plate portion 36 and cooperates with the plate portion 36 and the wall 37 to define a channel adapted to mount setting blocks 40 at spaced points along the length of the fixed sash, particularly at the bottom of the window opening, which serves to define supports for the adjacent or bottom edge of the building panel 14. The face 41 of the flange 39 which confronts the wall 31 is inclined or beveled relative to the step portion 35 and extends from said step portion 35 divergently relative to wall 31. One surface 41 terminates spaced from base 39, and the face 42 of the step portion 35 which confronts the wall 31 is preferably substantially parallel to the Wall 31. The face 42 is of a width preferably slightly less than the spacing of the hook portion 32 from the base portion 3d.

The outer or releasable sash unit 26 is prefenablya. substantially U-shaped elongated metallic member, prefera'b'ly constituting an extrusion formed of an aluminum alloy or other suitable metal, or a rolled or pressed metal member. Unit 26 has a web portion 45, a narrow leg or 49 extending toward the open side of the member 26 with the surface 50 extending in divergent relation to the confronting face of the leg 47 and terminating at a point spaced inwardly of theplane extending between the free edges of the legs 46 and 47. A longitudinal groove 51 is formed at the inside corner at the junction of theflanges 48 and 49. A longitudinal rib or lip 52 projects laterally from the narrow leg 46 at its junction with the web 45. A longitudinal rib or toe portion 53 projects laterally outward-1y from the free edge of the narrow leg portion 46. The normal spacing between the groove 51 and the tip of the toe portion 53 of the releasable sash unit 26 is somewhat greater than the spacing between the tip of the longitudinal hook portion 32 and the surface portion 42 of the step portion 35 or the cam surface 41 of the fixed sash unit 25.

Assuming that the inner sash unit 25 has been fixedly mounted in operative position, as by means of screws 34, and that a panel 1 4 has been inserted in the fixed inner sash uni-t to span the window opening or zone provided therefor, with marginal portions of said panel engaging the longitudinal ribs 38 of the fixed inner sash members, the panel mounting member can be completed by interlocking the outer sash or unit 26 with the fixed inner sash member 25. This may be accomplished by first fitting the groove 51 in the L-shaped flange 48, 49 of the outer sash member 26 over the longitudinal hook portion 32 on the outer (wall 31 of the fixed sash member to effect an interlock of the sash members 25 and 26 while the member 26 is tilted somewhat counterclockwise from the position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 2. The outer sash member 26 can then be swung clockwise until the portion 53 of the narrow leg 46 of the outer sash member 26 bears upon the cam surface 41 of the flange -39 of the fixed inner sash member. In this posit-ion the panel engaging flange or rib 5' 2 of the outer sash member 26 will be spaced from the panel 14. The-reupon, application of pressure upon the web 45 ofthe outer sash member 26 will cause the outer sash member to swing further clockwise about the interlock between hook 32 and groove 51 to the position illustrated inFIG. 2, at which the flange or rib 52 engages the panel 14, and the toe portion 53 rides onto theflat surface 42 between the cam surface 4 1 and the base portion 0f the inner sash member. This action entails a flexing of the narrow leg 46 of the outer sash to the extent indicated by the difference in the positions of leg 46 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. Alternatively, member 26 can be applied to member '25 by positioning member 26 with its surface 50 engaging hook 32, its toe 53 engaging surface 41 and its flange =52 engaging panel =14, and then pressing member 26 toward member 25 to effect a snap interlock between the parts'as shown in FIG. 2. a

It is important to observe that the respective spacings of the parts '51, 52 and 53 from the base 30 of the fixed inner sash member 25 are different when the sash mem-- bers are assembled. Thus it will be observed that the interlock of the hook 32 in the groove 51 is spaced from the base 30 of the inner sash member 25 a distance greater than the spacing of the toe portion 53 from the base 30 and less than the spacing of the panel-engaging flange or rib 52 from the base 30. This triangular rel-ationsh-ip between the lines of contact between the sash parts insures that the toe portion 53 of the leg 46 of the outer sash unit will pass over center incident to tilting movement of the outer sash member toward operative locked position on the inner sash member 25, and this over-center action or movement tends to cause the toe portion 53 to slide on surface 42 toward the base part 30 until the flange or rib 52 contacts the panel 14 in firm continuous linear engagement. This over-center arrangei ment thus serves to lock the outer sash member 26 positively to the inner sash member 25 linearly. This lock action is accommodated by the resilience of the sash parts and particularly of the leg 46 of the outer sash unit.

The resilience of the wall 3 1 and of the member 26 serves to condition the device for disassembly at will by the simple operation of prying bet-ween the edge of the wall 47 of member 26 and the building structure, for example, member 21, 22, to shift the outer sash member '26 away from the building structure sufficient to release the interlock between the hook 32 and the groove 51, whereupon sash member 26 is readily moved clear of sash member 25. v

The tension of the parts when interlocked is suflicient to withstand all pressures normally exerted upon the panel 14 which might tend to release the interlock of the inner and outer sash members thereon, as incident to high winds. Likewise, the spring tension exerted upon these interlocked parts is sufficient to withstand or prevent loosening of the interlock therebetween incident to vibration.

The construction illustrated in FIG. 5 entails a variation from the sash construction illustrated in FIG. 2. In this construction a wood structural member 55 is secured to the building wall 11 and may fit within the window opening 12. A trim member 56 is secured to the member 55 inset from the outer face thereof and projects therefrom in a manner to engage the marginal portion of the building panel 14 to be mounted. The inner fixed sash member consists of a base plate 57 secured to the structural member 55 and preferably forming part of an angle member so as to provide a facing or trim part 58 extending across the outer face of the member 55. A longitudinal outer wall 131 projects from the base 57 and terminates in a marginal longitudinal hook portion 132. A longitudinal flange 139 projects from the base 57 spaced from and parallel to the wall 131 and has a cam surface .141. Flange 139 has a flat surface 142 confronting and substantially parallel to wall 131 and extending from the cam surface 141 toward and substantially perpendicularly to the base plate 57.

An outer sash member 26 of the construction previously described cooperates with the inner sash member of the construction shown in FIG. 5, and all parts of member 26 shown in FIG. 5 bear the same reference numerals previously utilized. In use, the groove 51 between the flanges 48 and 49 of outer sash member 26 interlocks with the hook 132 on the wall 131 of the fixed inner sash, and the toe portion 53 on the leg 46 of the outer sash member engages the flat surface 142 of the flange 139 between the cam face 141 and the base plate 57 when the flange orrib 52 engages the panel 14. The same overcenter relation of the parts pertains in this construction as has been described above, effecting the same type of releasable interlock previously mentioned.

The construction can be utilized for flush mounting of the sash or .panel mount in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. In this construction, a window opening 12 in the building wall 11 is grooved or recessed at and mounts therein a channel-shaped groove liner 61 which preferably has outturned marginal flanges 62 hearing against the wall 11 at opposite sides of the groove 60. The innersash member employed iits within the liner 61 and is substantially of the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 4 and the various parts thereof bear the same reference numerals applied in FIG. 4. It will be understood that the base plate portion 30 of the inner sash 25 will be provided with securing means (not shown) to anchor the inner sash member to the channel liner 61 and the building wall, with wall 37 bearing against one side of the channel. The outer surface of the rib 38 will preferably be flush with the outer surface of the adjacent liner flange 62.

The. outer sash member 26 used in the FIG. 6 construction will be of. substantially the same construction illustrated in FIG. 3, with parts thereof bearing the same numerals used in FIG. 3. Substantially the same inter lock between the sash parts 25 and 26 can be effected as previously discussed. However, because wall 47 bears against a side wall of the groove liner 61, the beveled face 50 of flange 49 of outer sash member 26 rides on hook 32 of the fixed sash member 25 as the outer sash member is slid into place in thegroove liner until the outer sash member reaches a position at which the groove 51 registers with and receives the hook 32. The web 45 of outer sash member 26 is preferably substantially flush with the adjacent liner flange 62 and is of a width equal to the spacing between panel 14 and the side wall of the liner so that the outer sash spans the mouth of the groove outwardly of the panel 14.

FIG. 7 illustrates the principle of the application of the interlocking sash members described above as applied to a divider bar between adjacent panels 70 mounted in the same wall. In this construction a division bar 75 is suitably secured at its ends to a building wall. The division bar is preferably a metal member of substantially U-shape in cross-section, having a web 76 and a pair of leg portions 77 of substantially equal Width. Each leg 77 terminates in an inwardly directed carrier flange 78 preferably having a longitudinal inner flange 79 and longitudinal ribs 80. Each carrier flange 78 mounts a sealing member or strip 81 which bears against one face of the marginal portion of an adjacent panel 70. The seal strip 81 may be formed of rubber, synthetic resin or other suitable resilient sealing material. Alternatively, caulking material and clips, as shown in FIG. 8, may be used to form a seal between flange 78 and panel 70. The division bar also has a central wide longitudinal flange 82 between and parallel to legs 77 whose width greatly exceeds the width of the legs 77 and which extends between the adjacent panels 70. At its free edge the central flange 82 has a longitudinally extending crossflange 83 projecting therefrom at both sides and terminating at each longitudinal margin in a hook portion 84 projecting at an inclination thereto in the direction of the channel web 76. The wide central flange 82 also has a longitudinal cross-flange 85 projecting from opposite faces thereof intermediate its width and having surfaces 86 perpendicular to flange 82 and beveled or cam surfaces 87 at its opposite margins. Both flanges 83 and 85 are spaced from web 76 a distance greater than flange 78, strip 81 and panels 70.

The members 126 which interlock with the divider bar are of substantially the same construction, and parts therof are identified by the same numerals as the outer sash members 26 previously described. However, the abutment of members 126 with panels 70 is different. Thus inwardly projecting flange 127 of one edge of web 45 has a longitudinal flange 128 at one margin and longitudinal ribs 129 confronting the panel and serves to position metal spacing clips 130, as seen in FIG. 8, in engagement with the adjacent panel 70. Caulking material 131 is then applied between panel 70 and flange 127 to effect a seal. Alternatively, a resilient preformed seal strip, similar to strip 81, may be carried by flange 127 for contact with panel 70.

The application of the members 126 to the division bar 75 entails substantially the same three-point bearing contact previously mentioned, with fulcruming occurring between the hooks 84 of the division bar and the grooves 51 of the members 126, as previously explained, and with the lines of contact between the members 53 and 85 and between parts 130 and 70, respectively, located at opposite sides of the interlock between the parts 49 and 84, as well seen in FIG. 7, so that members 126 will be moved over center during assembly thereof and in disassembly, as accommodated by the flexing of the members 126 and their legs 46.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 9 wherein the fixed sash part 225 has a base or web part 230 extending full width thereof and adapted to be anchored or fixed to the building structure. A narrow wall 231 extends longitudinally and preferably substan tially perpendicularly from the base 230 at one margin thereof and at its free edge has an inwardly projecting hook portion 232. A narrow wall 235 narrower than the wall 231 preferably extends, substantially parallel to wall 231 intermediate the width of the base 230. The wall 235 preferably has a tapered or cam edge 241 and a face portion 242 confronting the wall 231. If desired, a longitudinal stop 243 may be provided intermediate the width of the Wall 235. A longitudinal wall 237, preferably parallel to the walls 231 and 235, extends from the margin of the base 230 opposite that from which the wall 231 extends. An inturned flange 238 terminates in a configured inturned flange 239 adapted to receive and support an elongated resilient sealing strip 240 or metal clips and caulking material engaging a panel'260. The flange 239 and the strip 240 may be of the same configuration and arrangement as theflange 78 and the sealing strip 81 seen in FIG. 7.

The outer or releasable sash unit 226 has a wall portion 245, a narrow leg portion 247 terminating in an inwardly offset terminal flange portion 249. The open orouter face of the part 249 terminates-in a beveled surface 250 and a groove 251 is formed longitudinally at the junction of theparts 247 and 249, and is adapted to receive the hook portion 232 of the wall 231 of the fixed sash member. A second flange member 2460f greater width than the width of the flange or wall parts 247, 249 projects from the part 245 and terminates in a longitudinal rib or toe portion 253 engageable with the surface 242 of the wall 235. The spacing between the base of the groove; 251 and the tip of the rib 253 will preferably be greater than the spacing between the tip of the hook 232 and the surface 242 so that interengagement of the parts, as

illustrated in FIG. 9, will entail a flexing of one of the parts, such as the part 246. The part 245 will preferably be of a width greater than the spacing between theparts 246 and '247, and the projecting part carries an inturned flange 255 adapted to'receive caulking material 256 and clips similar to those shown in FIG. 8, or a preformed sealing strip. Thus construction of parts 255 and 239 may be similar so that, if desired, a flexible rubber or other preformed sealing strip, such as strip 240, can be used in place of caulking. The same snap interlock of the parts mentioned above, and the overcenter relation when the parts are interlocked, occurs in this construction as mentioned previously.

In each of the constructions, the passage of the removable part over-center in order to eflect an interlock and a grip upon a panel has the advantage that the final seated and locked position of the parts will depend upon the thickness of the panel being mounted thereby. Thus, if any slight variations in panel thickness occur, they are readily compensated by a slight change in the relative position of the inner and outer sash members. This eliminates need for preservation of high accuracy of thickness of panels being used and makes possible the use of a few standard dimensions of the respective parts for wide range of usages. Also, it will be apparent that the construction may be applied to panels of different types, such as glass panels, metal wall panels used for curtain wall construction, and thermal glass panels characterized by spaced glass panes marginally joined by a sealing strip to provide a dead air space therebetween.

Other applications of the invention suitable in other structural elements and parts and accommodating panels of different types and mounting structures of different types, such as door frames, door side lights, and the like, may be provided. In other words, a wide variety of applications of the principle of the three-point anchorage with the over-center lock characterizing the construction described herein is feasible as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, the invention is not limited thereto. but is to be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. Panel mounting means comprising fixed and releasable elongated interlocking members, each of said members having a web portion and a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal spaced flanges projecting therefrom, 7

a hook carried by one flange of one member projecting toward the, other flange of said members and interfitting with a socket member carriedby one flange of the other member in predetermined spaced relation to the webs of the respective members, said socket being located between the planes of the inner faces of the flanges of said other member, the other flanges of said interlocking members having linear transversely slidable engagement with each other in spaced relation to the websflof said respective members different from the first named spaced relation at an over-center location on a surface of said fixed member and rocking about a fulcrum axis defined by said hook and socket, and a panel-engaging part on said releasable member spaced from said fulcrum axis and said linear engagement wherebvit swings toward and is urged into engagement with a panel as the line of engagement of said other flanges moves over center, said releasable member being flexed transversely thereof in the over-center panel-engaging interlocked position of said parts;

2. Means for mounting a panel on a building, com-,

prising fixed and releasable elongated interlocking members, said fixed member having a base and a pair of spaced longitudinal flanges projecting from said base, one flange terminating in a longitudinal hook extending in the direction of the other at its free margin, the other flange having a beveled marginal portion facing and1diverging from said first flange and a surface substantially perpendicular to said base between said bevelled portion and said base andfacing said first flange, said surface extending away from said base a distance less than the spacing between said base and said hook, said releasable member being substantially U-shaped in cross-section and havinga web and a pair of legs, a part carried by one leg and having a groove interengaging with said hook, the other leg having a longitudinal outturned toe at its free margin engaging and sliding on said beveled andperpendicular surfaces of said other flange of said fixed member toward and from the base thereof, and a longitudinal panel-abutting part carried by said releasable member adjacent the junction of said web and other leg and engaging said panel a distance spaced from the base of said fixed member greater than the spacing of said hook and said perpendicular surface from said base, at least one of said members having a resilient part, the smallest spacing between the hook and the perpendicular surface of said fixed member being slightly less than the undeformed spacing between said grooves and the'free margin of the toe portion of said releasable member,

before assembly, said fixed member constituting a division bar having its base positioned perpendicular to and between adjacent panels, said division bar having spaced panel-engaging parts, said base flanges being arranged in pairs at opposite sides of said base, each pair of base flanges interlocking with. a releasable member engaging one panel.

3. Means for mounting a panel on a building as de fined in claim 2, wherein said panel-engaging parts of said division bar each substantially register with a panel abutting part of said releasable member.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. JOEL REZNEK, RICHARD W. COOKE, .lr., Examiner s. 

1. PANEL MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING FIXED AND RELEASABLE ELONGATED INTERLOCKING MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A WEB PORTION AND A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL SPACED FLANGES PROJECTING THEREFROM, A HOOK CARRIED BY ONE FLANGE OF ONE MEMBER PROJECTING TOWARD THE OTHER FLANGE OF SAID MEMBERS AND INTERFITTING WITH A SOCKET MEMBER CARRIED BY ONE FLANGE OF THE OTHER MEMBER IN PREDETERMINED SPACED RELATION TO THE WEBS OF THE RESPECTIVE MEMBERS, SAID SOCKET BEING LOCATED BETWEEN THE PLANES OF THE INNER FACES OF THE FLANGES OF SAID OTHER MEMBER, THE OTHER FLANGES OF SAID INTERLOCKING MEMBERS HAVING LINEAR TRANSVERSELY SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER IN SPACED RELATION TO THE WEBS OF SAID RESPECTIVE MEMBERS DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST NAMED SPACED RELATION AT AN OVER-CENTER LOCATION ON A SURFACE OF SAID FIXED MEMBER AND ROCKING ABOUT A FULCRUM AXIS DEFINED BY SAID HOOK AND SOCKET, AND A PANEL-ENGAGING PART ON SAID RELEASABLE MEMBER SPACED FROM SAID FULCRUM AXIS AND SAID LINEAR ENGAGEMENT WHEREBY IT SWINGS TOWARD AND IS URGED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A PANEL AS THE LINE OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID OTHER FLANGES MOVES OVER CENTER, SAID RELEASABLE MEMBER BEING FLEXED TRANSVERSELY THEREOF IN THE OVER-CENTER PANEL-ENGAGING INTERLOCKED POSITION OF SAID PARTS. 